Secrets of success: Counterstrike (pt. 3)

A quick look at Counterstrike's skin economy, esports scene, and more.

Skin Economy

Weapon skins in Counterstrike are a bit of a controversial topic, so I’ll keep it short.

In fact, maybe all you need is the following example to understand why weapon skins are so coveted in Counterstrike:

https://twitter.com/DrDisrespect/status/1682496251932332032

You see, not only do people love to toss money at crates, but people love to watch people toss money at crates, and for better or worse, it keeps players engaged with the game. It also helps that some of these skins are worth thousands, and in some cases, millions of dollars.

That said, Valve is carrying over weapon skins from CS:GO to Counterstrike 2, and what’s more, they will be receiving a graphical facelift.

This will ensure that weapon skins retain their value when the new game launches, which is something that games like Call of Duty and others don’t offer.

High Skill Ceiling

Another contributing factor to Counterstrike’s historic run has been its unwavering difficulty and high skill ceiling.  

What is a skill ceiling, you ask?

In gaming, a “skill ceiling” typically refers to the total number of skills, tactics, and strategies that players can use to increase their proficiency and gain a competitive advantage over a human or computer-controlled opponent.  

It must also be mentioned that skill ceilings exist in all kinds of activities, including board games like chess and checkers and traditional sports like basketball and baseball.

However, not all skill ceilings are created equal, and some games, like Chess, have a much higher skill ceiling compared to board games like checkers, meaning it’s both harder to learn and harder to master.

Interestingly, games with a high skill ceiling tend to stick around, and in many cases, become more popular over time.

Don’t believe me?

Look at the top games played on Steam:

https://steamcharts.com/

Indeed, 5 of the top 10 games played on Steam are games with high skill ceilings (e.g., CS:GO, DOTA, Apex Legends, PUBG, and Team Fortress 2). And of these 5, CS:GO, DOTA 2, and Team Fortress 2 are rather old.

Now, there are a lot of reasons why these games have remained as popular as they are over the years, but in short, I think it’s safe to say that games with high skill thrive because they’re rewarding to play.

When a game is difficult to learn and master, reaching a high level of proficiency feels great. Additionally, there’s a level of prestige that comes with mastering certain activities.

I mean, would you be impressed if I was a Grandmaster-level tic tac toe player?

Probably not.  

That said, making your game difficult to learn and/or master isn’t a guarantee that it will capture a huge audience or be successful over the long run.

For example, the board game Go is far more complicated than Chess, but it’s not as popular.

Why?

For starters, Chess is simply more fun to watch, especially when players are on a time crunch (e.g., Blitz, Bullet, etc.). Additionally, the fact that there are different kinds of pieces in Chess adds to the drama of the game and creates fun-to-execute tactics like forking multiple pieces at once, sacrificing high-value pieces for a winning position, and so on and so forth.

Counterstrike is very similar in this regard. Sure, it might not be the most difficult first-person shooter to master, but its relative simplicity adds to the drama and makes it extremely fun to spectate.

And make no mistake, while Counterstrike may not be as difficult to master compared to some of its contemporaries, its skill ceiling is sufficiently high enough to keep players in the lab and practicing their headshots, grenade tosses, callouts, and more for hours and years on end.

Esports

The hour is getting late, so let’s get to the point.

Since its inception, Counterstrike has been one of the most played and watched esports games in the world.

That’s right, for a little over 20 years, no other first-person shooter has come close to taking the crown—not Valorant, not Overwatch, not Apex Legends, not PUBG, and not COD. In fact, since 2017, Counterstrike tournaments and events have been in the top 5 for both viewership and total prize pool for all games, not just first-person shooters.

Now, you may be asking yourself, what does Counterstrike’s esports scene have to do with anything?

Listen, the fact is that when a game has a thriving esports scene, players will want to be part of the community in whatever way they can.

Why?  

First, players want to play games that have a future, and even if they don’t make a run at the pro scene, it feels good to know that there are people out there playing the game at a high level, getting paid, and entertaining fans around the world.

I mean, imagine if the NBA didn’t exist—do you think kids playing basketball at the park or local gym would feel the same about the game? I think not.

Additionally, a thriving esports scene means that players of all skill levels can get together and watch pros compete online or at in-person events.

Like watching traditional sports, these events bring players together and help them form a strong community founded on shared experiences, memes, and so on and so forth.

And when they’re not watching an event, guess what, they’re playing the game.

It’s a positive feedback loop that has stood the test of time.

Final Thoughts

If you’re still out there, thanks for sticking around. I know it was a journey, but we’ve finally arrived at the end of the line.

I hope that I’ve made it clear why Counterstrike has stuck around for as long as it has—a couple of things though before we go: if you’re a developer out there and you’re looking to make a Counterstrike clone, don’t do it.

Instead, use what we’ve discussed as a framework for creating something fun and unique.

I don’t mean to be that guy, but the world doesn’t need another Counterstrike clone, the world needs the next Counterstrike. It needs the next genre-defining first-person shooter that provides a range of experiences that both casual and hardcore players can enjoy.